Frozen confections such as ice cream are popular products. The products are especially popular amongst consumers at summertime, but are also popular during other seasons.
Furthermore, consumers of frozen confections demand more and more for products which are natural. Consumers demand products which are free of artificial (non-natural) emulsifiers and stabilisers, but at the same time consumers demand products which are low-fat and have a rich and creamy texture. Most frozen confection products currently being on the market contain non-natural emulsifiers and/or stabilizers.
Furthermore, there is an existing demand from consumers of frozen confections to buy frozen confections prepared from low fat formulations, while maintaining their good sensorial properties or even improve the sensorial properties, as low fat products are perceived to have health benefits. Unfortunately, low fat alternatives available rely even more than higher fat alternatives on emulsifiers and stabilizers to attain a pleasant mouth texture, such as a smooth creamy texture.
The prior art discloses different ways of improving the texture and sensorial properties of low fat frozen confection products.
For example low-temperature extrusion or low-temperature freezing is a technology that has been developed and which has been used to confer enhanced organoleptic properties to frozen confection products. Examples of such frozen confections include ice cream, frozen yoghurt, sherbet etc.
Such a method is described for instance in a general way in the following published documents, WO 2005/070 225, WO 2006/099 987, EP 0 713 650, U.S. Pat. No. 7,261,913 and more recently US 2007-0 196 553.
EP 1 342 418 teaches a method for preparing a frozen ice cream containing an acid component but ensuring that at least one protein does not react with the acid. According to this teaching, the contact time between the acid and the protein should be kept to a minimum in order to avoid coagulation of protein.
In WO 2012/016 854 is described a frozen aerated confection product comprising a partially coagulated protein system having a pH between 6.3 and 5.6. The coagulated protein system has been obtained by adding an acidifying agent, for example molasses, organic acids, such as citric acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), or fruit derived acids.
However, the use of many organic acids like citric acid has a limitation in the amount which can be added to an edible product such as a frozen dairy dessert. Due to the acidity of citric acid, it limits the amounts used to attain a pH of 6.0. If more citric acid is used to pH below 6.0, the product prepared will have an unwanted sour aftertaste.
Furthermore, the use of citric acid gives mix processing limitations. The use of citric acid together with heat during the pasteurization process leads to partial coagulation of the protein in the system. However, the degree of denaturation (partial coagulation) is when using citric acid not controllable if the pH reaches below 6.0 and if the temperature goes above 85° C. Under such conditions higher amount of denaturation (precipation) occur which may cause fouling of the pasteurizer plates and also contributing strong sour taste in the final product.
Hence, there is a need for a milder acidic solution for better control of processing parameters while obtaining a product with a rich, creamy texture.
Further, there is an unmet need for a method of preparing frozen confection products where pH can be slowly lowered and where a product is prepared which has improved textural and sensorial properties but no sour or acidic aftertaste.
Further, there is a need for frozen confections, in particular low fat products, which are free from artificial stabilizers and non-natural emulsifiers, but still have a smooth and creamy texture.